Match Report

Too close yet too far

Sri Lanka gave a sizeable Oval crowd a show worth their money as they chased a mammoth Australian total of 334 with some unforeseen character before losing their course on the way, losing seven for 229 in their 40th over. Sri Lanka needed 102 further runs in just over 10 overs, when we went to press last night.

The Lankan top order batted around skipper Karunaratne who made a career best 97 before being caught in the point by Maxwell Richardson when the Lankans were having realistic chances of going the distance. They were 186 for two when Dimuth got out in the 33rd over of the innings.

After the dismissal of Mathews in the 36th over, Sri Lanka started reeling, losing wickets in tandem as the required run rate soared.

Aus innings

Aaron Finch hammered a brilliant 153, his highest score in ODIs, in 132 balls with 15 fours and five sixes and guided Australia to a massive 334/7 in their 50 overs. Both Smith and Maxwell (73 and 46 n.o., respectively) chipped in.

Scorecard

Australia
David Warner b De Silva 26
Aaron Finch (C) c Karunaratne b Udana 153
Usman Khawaja c Udana b De Silva 10
Steve Smith b Malinga 73
Glenn Maxwell not out 46
Shaun Marsh c Siriwardana b Udana 3
Alex Carey (wk) run out (Udana) 4
Pat Cummins run out (Udana) 0
Mitchell Starc not out 5

Extras (nb 1, w 9, lb 4) 14
Total (for 7 wickets in 50 overs) 334

Did not bat: Jason Behrendorff, Kane Richardson
Fall of wickets: 1-80 (Warner), 2-100 (Khawaja), 3-273 (Finch), 4-278 (Smith), 5-310 (Marsh), 6-317 (Carey), 7-320 (Cummins)
Bowling: Malinga 10-1-61-1 (3w, 1nb), Pradeep 10-0-88-0 (2w), Udana 10-0-57-2 (1w), Perera 10-0-67-0 (1w), De Silva 8-0-40-2 (2w), Siriwardana 2-0-17-0

Sri Lanka
Dimuth Karunaratne (C) c Maxwell b Richardson 97
Kusal Perera (wk) b Starc 52
Lahiru Thirimanne c Carey b Behrendorff 16
Kusal Mendis c Carey b Starc 30
Angelo Mathews c Carey b Cummins 09
Milinda Siriwardana b Starc 03
Thisara Perera c Warner b Starc 07
Dananjaya De Silva not out 03
Isuru Udana not out 00

Extras (w 3, lb 2) 5
Total (for 3 wickets in 32.5 overs) 190

Did not bat: Lasith Malinga, Nuwan Pradeep
Fall of wickets: 1-115 (K. Perera), 2-153 (Thirimanne), 3-186 (Karunaratne), 4-205 (Mathews), 5-209 (Siriwardana), 6-217 (T. Perera), 7-222 (Mendis)
Bowling: Starc 7.2-0-47-4 (w1), Cummins 6-0-35-1 (w1), Behrendorff 9-0-59-1, Richardson 6-0-34-1, Maxwell 10-0-46-0 (w1)